DJI is continuing to expand its horizons into the pro market with the new Spreading Wings S900. Continue reading
UAS Monitor Breakwater Erosion in Netherlands
Figure 1: MD4-1000 operating above the breakwater in IJmuiden
Monitoring of the breakwaters in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, is currently carried out using airborne Lidar together with spirit level / total station measurements. Airborne Lidar is excellent but very expensive when projects are small such as a breakwater survey. A UAS survey is a proper, and much more affordable, alternative. Continue reading
Seeker 400 Completes Second Round of Flight Tests
The Denel Dynamics Seeker 400 unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed a second round of flights tests at Alkantpan in the Northern Cape as part of its development process, Denel has announced. The tests included an evaluation of the system for range and performance with full payload on board.
More Reports of Drones Nearing Passenger Jets in New York Area
In the last 30 days, there have been 10 incidents in which drones have gotten close to passenger jetliners in the New York area, and in some cases, even forced evasive action by pilots, according to a senior aviation official. The 11th instance occurred in the last 48 hours, the official said. Continue reading
UAS to Monitor Wildlife at 10 Sites in India
In what could be a major boost to technologically-empowered wildlife surveillance and research in India, plans are afoot to introduce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 10 biodiversity-rich sites across India by January 2015.
Hummingbirds Hover Better than Black Hornet
When it comes to flight, nature just has the edge on engineers. This is according to a study comparing hummingbirds with one of the world’s most advanced micro-helicopters. Researchers found that – in terms of the power they require to lift their weight – the best hummingbird was over 20% more efficient than the helicopter.
UAS as Construction Inspectors
The small craft, barely a metre across, works its way up to the 11th floor, examining the façade for such damage as chipped or crumbling concrete, defective joints and the like. Keeping about two metres from the façade, the robot is on an inspection tour of the building. It’s equipped with a high-resolution digital camera that takes detailed images of each part of the building. In this case, the work is being done in Saarbrücken, Germany, and the operator is Christian Eschmann, a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing.
Kansas City Man to use UAS for Search and Rescue
A Kansas City man plans to explore the lifesaving potential of drones. Lance Nash of Hex FX Aerials has been using unmanned aircraft to shoot video of events for the last two years. Continue reading